Interpreting the Epistle to the Hebrews / Hebrews

Interpreting the Epistle to the Hebrews. By Andrew H. Trotter, Jr. Guides to New Testament Exegesis. Grand Rapids; Baker, 1997, 223 pp., $13.99 paper. Hebrews. By Thomas G. Long. Interpretation. Louisville: John Knox, 1997, xii + 153 pp., $21.00.

Trotter provides an excellent manual of methods and principles for interpreting the genre of Hebrews, part of a series of guides by various scholars who do the same for other NT books to help "college religion majors, seminarians, and pastors who have had at least one year of Greek" (p. 9i. His work is not a commentary on Hebrews as the word is understood but seeks to provide the tools to help the reader interpret the text either to teach or preach Hebrews.

The book has two major parts, the first providing background material, historical and cultural context including readership and date, and then authorship, genre, structure of the book, and interesting particulars of the Greek text. Part two enables the reader to do word studies in Hebrews, and then notes the grammar, its various styles of speech and, finally, the theology that comes from the text: the doctrines of Scripture, Christology, eschatology, and sanctification and perseverance.

The latter part also contains a chart of key words in Hebrews, examines the various styles in the Greek text, depending on what the author wanted to emphasize: his exalted statements about Christ in Heb. 1:2-3; the majestic affirmation of the Word in Heb. 4:12-13; the elegant statement of the nature of the priesthood of Melchizedek in Heb. 7:1-3; the rational argumentation of the philosopher in Heb. 4:1-9; and so on, all of which is helpful in interpreting Hebrews. Trotter offers a valuable contribution regarding this guide to help the student or pastor exegete this book.

He is very careful with the issue of authorship, suggesting it could be either Barnabas or Apollos, but that the evidence is not conclusive. His final point is that while "we do not exactly know who wrote the epistle," this "is not the same thing as saying we know absolutely nothing about its author (p. 41 ). He demonstrates that much can be known from how he writes, the content of his material, his knowledge of the OT, as well as his good command of Greek.

Since Trotter is interested in the cultural background of Hebrews, one wonders why he could not consider Heb 1:1-3 as a Messianic Jewish kaddish, which is offered at the grave site but here as a testimony to the glory to God and the Messiah as this congregation mourned the homegoing of its pillars, James, Peter, and Paul, by 64 or 65 AD.

Longs commentary on Hebrews is also part of a series of volumes an interpreting the books of the Bible. As professor of preaching at Princeton Theological Seminary, he employs his skills to demonstrate that the author of Hebrews is also a preacher, preaching a sermon "rabbinic in design, Christian in content, and heroic in length" (p. 2). While the letter has some resemblance to an epistle, by and large Hebrews is a message, and the preacher appeared to be a well-educated Jewish Christian with excellent training in Hellenistic thought. While Long considers several candidates for authorship, he comes to no conclusion, and the dating is suggested to be between 60100 A.D.

Long paints the preacher as a patient pastor who sought to encourage the people of this congregation; he does not see people as really backslidden (5:11-14; p. 71) or on the verge of leaving the congregation (6:4-6; pp. 72-73), but rather takes the clue from 6:9 to encourage the congregation to move from "dire predicaments" and "more hopeful circumstances of his congregation (p. 73). While Long recognizes people can leave the faith (which will be questioned by some), he considers the warning in Hebrews as the means to encourage the folk to rise above their circumstances and live victoriously.

Long has provided an excellent commentary, speaking from the point of view of a gifted preacher, using all the various styles of Hebrews as well as a number of excellent illustrations that will be of help to the modern preacher who decides to tackle this book for his congregation.

One concern I have is the absence of any serious consideration given to Jews who became believers under the Mosaic covenant. According to Long such Jews, "offered imperfect sacrifices through flawed priests" (p. 88) and never knew the possibility of perfection in the conscience (Heb 9:9). A distinction needs to be made between the remnant-believers and the rest as unbelievers where the former knew the Law to be holy and the commandment as holy, righteous, and good (Rom 7:12). Yes, the Messiah had to come to set in motion an entire new people of God where everyone knew the Lord, but one must not overlook what was possible under the old covenant, where many found the Lord and walked with him.

Louis Goldberg Jews far Jesus, New York, NY

Copyright Evangelical Theological Society Mar 2000
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